How did we end up here?
by GeorgieM
Summary: Zack's in college and runs into an old crush who needs his help.  She needs a fake boyfriend.  There will be craziness, fun and music... but love?  Rated T, just in case for future chapters
1. Chapter 1

_**I haven't done a Suite Life story yet, so here goes. Hope you like it. Please review and let me know. If there isn't any interest I probably won't bother continuing it.**_

_***I don't own Suite Life or it's characters, just my story.***_

Chapter 1

This starts off in a place I know many of you would never expect Zack Martin to wind up, the University's Library. This is his sophomore year and, on this particular night, he is hunched over an open book at one of the larger tables towards the back. A small assortment of books lay scattered around him on the table and an open notebook with half written notes is beneath his elbow. A pen is tapping lightly against full lips as he concentrates. His dark blond hair, still a bit on the shaggy side, is charmingly ruffled up from running his fingers through it repeatedly.

So intent is he that he barely notices when another student slides into the seat at the opposite end of the table from him. He hears a soft, feminine voice mumbling to herself as she digs through her black backpack, but ignores it. Zack scribbles down some more notes and looks up at the shelves of books, deep in thought, before adding more. He doesn't realize that the other student is now staring at him, her mouth open in shocked recognition and barely hears her when she finally whispers. "Zack?"

"Yeah?" He answers, not bothering to look up.

"Zack? Is that really you?" Her voice finally registers with him. It's familiarity bringing a whole host of treasured memories, some happy and some heart wrenching.

"Maddie?" He looks over at the petite girl with the long, flowing hair. Her hair is darker now but it is definitely the same girl he had loved with all his youthful heart.

Maddie jumps up from her chair with a glad cry and races around the table to him. "Zack!" He gets up just in time to catch her as she launches herself into his arms for a hug. Zack buries his face into her hair, inhaling the summery scent, as he hugs her close. They part, smiling at each other, soaking in every new detail.

"When did you get so tall?" Maddie asks a little annoyed.

"It has been about four years." Zack rolls his eyes at her. "When did you get so brunette?"

"When I stopped lightening it three years ago." Maddie rolls her eyes back at him. She walks over and pulls her stuff over next to his. "God, it really has been that long since we've seen each other. I can't hardly believe it."

"We just never seem to be home at the same time." Zack shrugs, not adding that he made sure of that. He had decided after that disastrous visit with her at sea school when she almost married the eight year old prince. Maddie had finally kissed him to give him the confidence to win the duel but then later told him that she didn't want to be with him. He was too young and she knew him too well. Zack did not want to endure that pain again so figured it would be easier to deal with if he didn't have to see her. "What are you doing here? I thought you went to New York for school."

"I'm doing my graduate studies here." Maddie smiles at him and glances away towards the front of the library. Her smile fades and is replaced with something akin to panic. She looks up at Zack with wide, pleading eyes. "Zack, please do me a favor?"

"Sure. What's wrong Maddie?" Zack stares at her.

"Pretend you love me." With that, Maddie wraps her hands around the back of Zack's head and pulls him down to crash her lips on his. Zack, surprised by the action, takes a moment to respond but catches up quickly. Whatever this is, he's going to go with it. He wraps his hands around her waist and pulls her fully against him, angling his head and softening the kiss at the same time. Maddie's panic fades a little and she finds herself enjoying the kiss… really enjoying the kiss. Her hands, which had been holding his head in place, are tangling in his hair, egging him on to deepen the kiss further.

"Ah hem." A deep, male voice intrudes. They break apart, dazed, looking over at the new arrival. "Maddie? Who the hell is this?"

Maddie looks up at Zack, an apologetic smile curving her lips and a plea in her eyes. She faces the newcomer and wraps a snug arm around Zack's waist. "This is Zack. My boyfriend." Zack, to give him credit, didn't bat an eye. He looks down at Maddie with a huge grin. "I will never get tired of hearing you say that." He teases her.

"Boyfriend?" The guy's brown eyes about bug out of his head as he goggles at the couple. He's handsome in a bookish kind of way with short brown hair, wire-rimmed glasses and a wiry build. To be honest, the guy dresses like Zack's brother, Cody, used to dress when they were in Junior High. Right down to the sweater vest. "I've never heard anything about a boyfriend. What'd you do just pick up some random guy?"

"I'm not caring for your tone 'friend'." Zack says with menace in his voice.

"Zack." Maddie lays a hand on his forearm in reassurance before facing their uninvited intruder. "Greg, you don't know everything there is to know about me. I like to keep my private life just that, private. As for Zack, I've known him for about eight years, so he is not just some random guy. I think it is time for you to go."

"You haven't heard the last of this Madeleine." Greg gives Zack a nasty look before turning on his heal and marching straight out the library.

Maddie drops down into the seat next to Zack with a deep sigh.

"Maddie, I know you probably have an excellent explanation for what just happened…" Zack checks the black sports watch on his wrist "but I have to go. Grab your stuff, I can't be late." He packs away his mess as she watches, confused.

"What?"

"Grab your stuff and lets go." Zack packs away the few items she had gotten out into her bag and wraps the strap over her arm. "You need to tell me what's going on along the way." Maddie follows him out of the building and down to a midnight blue jeep in the parking lot. They stow their bags in the back before climbing into the front seats.

"Where are we going?" Maddie asks, looking around as they drive off campus and into the city.

"I have a gig downtown." Zack answers dismissively. "Now, tell me what that scene back there was about. Who is Greg?"

_**Like it? Hate it? Let me know! Review please! :-)**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**I didn't get many reviews, but the ones I got were encouraging, so here is another chapter. I hope you like it. Thanks and please Review.**_

_***I don't own Suite Life or its characters. I do own this story.***_

Chapter 2

"So talk to me." Zack keeps his stormy blue eyes focused on the road, waiting for Maddie to answer.

"There really isn't much to say." Maddie heaves a sigh, still staring out the passenger side window. "Greg and I are in the same field of study for our graduate program. We've ended up in most of the same classes and participated in the same study groups. It didn't take him long to decide I would make a great girlfriend for him and future wife. To be honest, when I first met him, I thought he was kind of cute but his personality started grating on my nerves before long. He keeps asking me out every chance he gets and goes on and on about how 'perfect' we are for each other. Greg's about a half step away from being considered a stalker. When I saw him come into the library while we were talking, I just snapped. I couldn't take dealing with him again so I panicked." She glances over at Zack nervously. "I really am sorry I dragged you into this and am really glad you were there."

"It's okay, Maddie. You know I'm always here if you need me." Zack flashes her a smile. "Want me to go threaten Greg to stay away from you? I can be pretty intimidating when I want to be." Maddie, looking at Zack, could readily believe with his muscle definition. Zack's body looks lean and powerful and oh so yummy… 'wait I did not just think that about Zack, did I?' Maddie groans to herself.

"I wish it were that simple and I appreciate the offer but I don't want you getting in trouble. Greg comes from a rich family with plenty of connections. I doubt he would hesitate to use those to make your life miserable if you got in his face." Maddie rejects his idea.

"Well, what do you want to do then?" Zack asks.

"Do you think you could just continue to be my boyfriend until Greg gets the hint and gives up?" Maddie asks.

"I suppose we could do that, after all, he already thinks I am. All we'd have to do is be seen hanging out together being affectionate." Zack grins over at Maddie. "So my lovely new girlfriend, how would you like to watch me and my band play tonight? We can grab a bite afterwards."

"I didn't know you were in a band, though it's not real surprising considering your parents." Maddie exclaims. "I'd love to hear you."

"That's good because we're here." Zack laughs. "And I'm not driving you all the way back to campus right now." He hops out of the car and jogs around to open the door for Maddie. After she gets out, he gets his guitar case and a bag from the back, grabs her hand and leads her inside. As they walk in, Maddie recognizes it as one of the hottest clubs in town, Ice.

"Wow, Zack! You guys must be really good if you're playing here tonight." Maddie says impressed.

"We do alright." Zack says modestly, but ruins it by winking at her. She follows him to the low stage set up in the back of the large, open room. Everything is decorated to fit the club's name in various shades of blue with crystal and glitter accents. Midnight blue drapes frame the stage where Zack's band is setting up. Setting down his guitar and bag, they walk over to the small group of performers.

"Hey guys." Zack greets them. They look over at Zack and acknowledge him with smiles. Everyone stops what they are doing when they notice Maddie standing behind him still holding his hand, which none of them miss. Zack pulls her up beside him. "Everyone, this is Maddie. Maddie, this is Evan, George, Rachel and Maya." He points at each person in turn and they each wave at her, still staring and silent. Maddie starts to twitch, uncomfortable with so much attention.

"Uh, hi everyone." She mumbles, looking up at Zack in askance.

"Uh guys? You're starting to freak Maddie out." Zack waves his hand to get their attention, which seems to have broken the spell. They all rush forward with smiles and friendly hellos, each wanting to meet Zack's apparently, new girlfriend. After chatting for a few minutes, they relax enough to goof around like they usually do before a gig to release tension. Several teasing comments were batted back and forth, eliciting laughter and friendly threats. Maddie is enjoying hanging out with Zack and his friends.

"So, Maddie" Maya sidles up next to her. "How did you and Zack meet?" Maya has purple streaks running through her black hair which is done up in two oversized pigtails. Her hazel eyes are accented with smoky eye shadow and black liner while her mouth is painted a deep shade of red. A sleeveless black tunic with a slash of purple across it diagonally covers her form along with faded, designer skinny jeans and four inch purple sandals.

"When he came up to me to buy candy and said 'Hey there, Sweet Thang'." Maddie laughs. "I wasn't sure if I should be flattered or appalled since he only came up to my shoulder."

"Shoulder?" Maya asks, looking from how short Maddie is to how tall Zack is. "Was he sitting down?"

"No." Maddie laughs again, enjoying the girls confusion. "He was eleven at the time."

"Oh." Maya says, catching on but then looks surprised. "So, you have known each other for a long time then. Why haven't we met you before now?"

"I went away to college and just transferred here for my graduate studies." Maddie neglects to mention that she hasn't actually seen Zack in the last four years and hopes no one will ask.

George, who had been listening in on their conversation, gives a devious look to Maddie. "So, I bet you know all kinds of juicy, blackmail stories on Zack. Share and I will make it worth your while." George has short, spiked blonde hair with brown eyes and a lanky build. He's dressed in ripped jeans and a black tee with neon green writing on it proclaiming him to be 'Delicious!'

Maddie pretends to think about it before responding. "What's in it for me?"

"Oh no you don't." Zack comes up from behind her and wraps his arms around her waist. "No telling tales, Sweet Thang." He whispers softly into her ear, causing a pleasant shiver to race down her spine. The familiar endearment wrapping around her heart.

Maya watches them and sighs at the sweetness. "You are so cute together." Zack and Maddie both blush at the comment and steps away taking her hand in his.

"We have a table here next to the stage." He holds out a chair for her. "Do you want something to drink?"

"A root beer would be great if they have it." Maddie smiles up at him. "Thanks."

"Not much of a drinker, huh?" Zack teases.

"Not unless you want me passed out on the floor before you even begin to play." Maddie rolls her eyes.

"Root beer it is." Zack walks over to the bar where a handsome bartender is wiping down the bar top. Zack returns with her drink and several bottles of water, which he passes out to his band mates. "Jack is opening the doors in thirty minutes so we should get warmed up." Zack walks over to his bag and guitar case, pulling off his shirt exposing a spattering of hair across his chest leading down to an impressive washboard stomach. Maddie tries to look away but is mesmerized by the play of muscle as he moves to put on a royal blue tee-shirt. She blushes and looks down before he catches her staring at him, probably drooling. 'Come on, Maddie. This is just Zack. Remember? Annoying, adorable kid who always used to hit on you and is three years your junior. So what if he's grown up into a total hottie, he's still Zack.' Maddie berates herself.

Zack warms up on lead guitar with George as base. Maya is set up on drums, surprising Maddie. Evan has keyboard and Rachael is warming up her voice, so she must be the lead singer. They are talking low amongst themselves, listening to make sure everyone is in tune and all is in working order. Zack and George, do some vocal warm-ups with Rachael. As soon as they are satisfied, Zack jogs back to Maddie.

"You doing okay?" He asks.

"Yeah, I'm great, can't wait to hear you guys." Maddie grins at him in excitement.

"Good. I have a surprise for you." He has a mischievous glint in his eye as he looks behind Maddie. "And here she is to keep you company." Maddie turns and, for a moment, is speechless.

"Maddie? Oh my God! Maddie!"

"Bailey?" Maddie jumps up and the girls hug. "What are you doing here? I haven't seen you since the cruise ship." Bailey hasn't changed much since Seven Seas High. Her face is a little leaner and her figure is a little curvier but she still exudes friendliness and a wholesome nature. Maddie checks out Bailey's pencil line black skirt and forest green blouse with a deep vee neck. "You are looking good, girl."

"Thanks." Bailey smiles at the compliment. "I go to school here and try to make it to Zack's performances when I can." She walks over and gives Zack a small kiss on the cheek. "Hey, why didn't you tell me Maddie was coming?" Bailey bats his arm.

"I'm opening the doors!" A guy yells from up front.

"I didn't know she was but I'm going to let her explain it. I have to get on stage." Zack gives Bailey a quick hug and swiftly kisses Maddie on the lips. "Let me know what you tell her." He whispers so only she can hear, before rejoining his band. Bailey stares at Maddie with her mouth open in shock.

"Did I miss something?" Bailey asks incredulously.

"Uh yeah, you could say that." Maddie blushes and looks away.

Bailey sits down next to her. "So spill."

Maddie decides to tell the truth to Bailey knowing she can trust her. She explains what happened in the library earlier, about the trouble she's having with Greg and Zack agreeing to help her out. When she finished, Bailey is quiet, mulling it all over.

"Maddie, you know I like you and I sympathize with you about Greg. He sounds horrible and I'm glad Zack is helping you out, but be careful." Bailey looks are her seriously. "I don't want Zack to get hurt."

"I don't want him to either." Maddie confesses. "I tried to warn him about Greg's family so he won't confront Greg directly."

"While I'm worried about that too, it's not what I'm talking about." Bailey sighs, wondering if she should explain. Her concern for Zack wins out. "I'm talking about what you do to Zack."

"What I do to Zack?" Maddie asks, her confusion evident. "What do you mean?"

"Last time, you nearly broke him." Bailey admits quietly. "After you left the ship, he wouldn't come out of his room for days and, when he finally did, he wasn't the same. He hardly ever pulled pranks. He never hit on girls. He rarely spoke, unless you asked him a question directly. He actually did his homework, for which Mr. Moseby almost had a heart attack. It took months before he would even smile again. We were all worried about him. It was as if, when you left, you took a part of his soul with you."

"I didn't know." Maddie says sadly. "I never wanted to hurt him like that. I really didn't know that I could."

"The only positive thing that came out of it was that Zack realized just how smart he really is." Bailey said, a hint of pride in her voice. "That last year, he pulled straight A's, almost beating Cody."

"I always knew he was smart. No one could have come up with the stuff he pulled without some brains." Maddie says with a slight smile.

"I don't want to see that happen to him again. He never did explain what had happened between you two and I didn't want to push it. Just take care with him, okay? He's one of my best friends." Bailey is interrupted by people coming in from the front door and anymore serious conversation is going to have to wait until later.

_**Please Review and let me know what you think. Thanks. If I get enough reviews, I'll keep going with the story.**_


	3. Chapter 3

**_Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story. You guys are great and I am really enjoying the comments. Please keep them coming. To everyone else who is reading this, I hope you are enjoying the story and thanks for reading._**

**_*I don't own Suite Life or its characters. The story, the songs and the characters I made up are mine.*_**

Chapter 3

The club played some cds while customers piled in and the band finished getting ready. Maddie and Bailey, sitting off to the side of the stage, watch as people find seats, order drinks and mingle. Their serious conversation put on pause for the moment, they chat and get reacquainted.

"Maddie!" A voice that has quickly become the bane of her existence yells out from half way across the room. Looking up, Maddie sees Greg making his way over to their table.

"Oh no." Maddie groans causing Bailey to look over at Greg, too.

"Who is that?" Bailey asks, but already has a pretty good idea. Before Maddie can answer, he reaches them and sits down in one of the unoccupied chairs without an invitation.

"Can you believe how packed it is in here already?" Greg looks at Maddie. "I hear the band is awesome though. They're called Mayhem. Have you heard them yet?" He doesn't give anyone a chance to answer. "By the way, Maddie, where's that 'boyfriend' of yours?" He asks sarcastically.

"Right here." Zack answers coming up behind them after seeing the unwanted guest at the table, surprising Greg. He wraps an arm around Maddie's shoulders and gives her a quick peck on the lips. "Hey babe, we're about to start and I wanted to make sure my two favorite ladies are doing alright."

"Yeah, we're okay." Maddie smiles up at Zack while Bailey nods in agreement before rolling her eyes over towards Greg. Zack winks at her.

"Hey, I hate to do this but I'm going to need you to sit somewhere else. This table is reserved for the band and all the seats are taken." Zack fanes regret while speaking to Greg.

"Why do they get to sit here then if it is reserved for the band?" Greg asks obnoxiously.

"Because its my band and they are with me." Zack answers reasonably and looks over at the girls. "Cody and London should be here in a bit. Keep an eye out for them will you, so they know where our table is."

"Your band?" Greg asks in astonishment, but quickly recovers. "Well, I'll just keep these two beautiful ladies company until the others arrive." Greg folds his arms in satisfaction thinking he has won.

"Hey Zack, aren't you suppose to be on stage?" The new voice comes from behind Greg, though he doesn't bother to look. Zack grins and walks over to shake his brother's hand.

"Hey bro! London!" Zack pulls London in for a hug so that only Cody and London can hear him. "Keep this guy away from Maddie. We're fake dating. Explain later." Cody and London look at him in question for a moment then smile at everyone, taking Zack at his word.

"Maddie! It's been forever." London walks over to give her best friend a hug, completely ignoring Greg. "Hi Bailey!"

"London, I just saw you three weeks ago." Maddie laughs as Bailey says hello to London.

"So?" London cocks her head to the side. She is looking as fabulous as always in a form fitting slinky black, sleeveless dress with black sequins dripping down it making it sparkle. Her thick black hair flows just past her shoulders in a mass of twists and curls.

Y-y-you're London Tipton!" Greg manages to say, staring at her with wide eyes, finally impressed by someone that isn't himself.

"Yes. Yes I am." London acknowledges always happy to be recognized. "Who are you?"

Greg stands up and straightens his shirt. "Gregory Ignatious Littleton, the fourth, at your service." He says conceitedly, expecting her recognize the name and fawn on him.

"Okay." London says unimpressed and turns back to her girlfriends. Cody walks over to London with a smile and lays a hand on her waist. When London looks up at him, he leans down for a quick kiss making sure Greg knows exactly who London belongs to.

"We should probably sit down. The band is going to start soon." Cody says to his girlfriend.

Greg, finally noticing Cody, stares in shock thinking that it was Zack for a moment. The Martin twins look even more alike now than they did as kids since Zack caught up in height and Cody filled out. Although their clothes still keep them apart as Cody tends towards more preppy and Zack wears more for comfort. Tonight Cody has on a sky blue button down and Khaki pants.

"Greg, your going to have to move now." Zack says from next to Maddie. "My brother and his girlfriend near those seats. Thanks." With that, Zack leans down to give Maddie one more kiss and waves at the rest of them before going on stage, trusting Cody to take care of the girls.

The four remaining friends stare at Greg until he finally gets the point and leaves to find another seat, upset, annoyed and confused. Not only is Maddie dating that Zack character but Greg finally gets to meet the famous London Tipton and finds out she's dating Zack's twin. What the hell? The other girl at the table, whatever her name is, isn't worth his time, a nobody. Greg searches for a seat and finally finds one near the front door about as far from the stage as you can get. He sits down and tries to think of ways to turn this situation in his favor.

Back by the stage, the friends have settled into their seats. Cody and London, sitting next to each other, are holding hands. Cody's thumb rubbing her knuckles, affectionately. Maddie, seeing this, raises an eyebrow at them.

"London. Is there something you forgot to tell me?" Maddie asks pointedly staring at their interlocked hands. "Like maybe the fact that you and Cody are together?" London blushes and glances over at Cody.

"You knew you were going to have to tell her eventually." Cody says reasonably.

"I know." London sighs in resignation. "Maddie, the only reason I didn't tell you was because I know how you get about the age difference thing. I wanted to tell you but I wasn't sure how to or how you'd react. Are you mad at me?"

"No, just a little disappointed that you didn't say anything. If you guys are happy, then I'm happy for you." Maddie says sincerely, but still a little shaken by the revelation.

The couple look at each other, adoration apparent on the faces. "We're happy." They say in unison, both blushing.

Bailey, watching them, grins at Maddie, comfortable with the situation. "They really are cute together."

"When did all this happen?" Maddie asks. "I mean I heard about Cody and Bailey's breakup a couple years ago but what's happened between then and now?" Just then, the lights dimmed and the spotlights hit the stage.

"That story is going to have to wait until later." Bailey answers. Everyone nods in agreement and faces the stage where Zack is introducing the band from center stage.

"Welcome to Ice, the hottest night club in town. Everyone doing good tonight?" Zack smiles as the crowd cheers. "Let me introduce the band to you. On keyboard, we have Evan Daniels. On drums, Maya Underwood. On base, George Abrams. On vocals, Rachel Starling. And I'm Zack Martin. We are Mayhem!" There is clapping and cheers as he says each name until he gets to Rachel and himself.

Rachel gets a loud response from all the men in the crowd and you can't blame them considering how hot she looks. Rachel's long, shapely legs are outlined in black leggings and her ample cleavage and tiny waist show to advantage in a low cut silver mini dress with cap sleeves. Her thick golden brown hair is twisted up away from her face, showing off high cheek bones, red pouty lips and wide chocolate brown eyes. She is obviously a favorite among the men.

When Zack introduces himself, it is the females turn to go nuts, screaming and wolf-whistling. Zack just grins and blows a kiss to the crowd and another to Maddie with a wink. Now, it's Maddie's turn to blush as several faces turn to see who Zack is favoring with his attention, making her the recipient of many envious stares. Ignoring the rest, she blows a kiss back to him with a grin. For a fake relationship, this is feeling awfully real to Maddie and that worries her. 'This is Zack! I can't fall for Zack! He's just doing me a favor.' Maddie tries to reason with herself but finds the she is losing the argument.

The band starts their first song which Zack called, This Time. It's a fast rock number and lots of people get up to dance, obviously a favorite. As Zack starts to sing, Maddie realizes that she had assumed wrong. Apparently, Zack is the lead singer, at least for this song, and he is amazing. His more mature voice is a bit rough and a whole lot sexy.

One night

One dream

One sweet surprise

You stole my heart before sunrise

It was a dance that felt so right

You in my arms by the pale moon light.

Sky blue eyes

Long blonde hair

A smile that stuns

All I can do is stare

...

You are my dream

My soul

My light

My fondest wish in the dark of night

Though you're far away

In my heart you'll always stay

I live to hold you close

To hear you sigh

To kiss your lips

I can't deny

...

I've been waiting

Always loving

Always hoping I'll see

You come back to me

One day I know you'll know

Together we are whole

Two lives

Two hearts

One love

I knew it from the start

...

No where

No time

No chance

I'm not gonna let this pass

It is our life to live

I'll give all I've got to give

To make you smile

Make you shine

Make you happy

Anything to make you mine

...

All I can do is stare

It almost more than I can bare

I can't deny

I dream and sigh

I knew it from the start

We can never be apart

Anything to make you mine

It's gonna work this time

The music dies away and the crowd cheers, shouting out suggestions of other songs to play. Zack and the rest of Mayhem go into the next song. Cody and London are dancing together next to the table and Bailey is rocking out in her seat. Maddie bops along to the new song but is caught up thinking about the meaning behind the last. 'I'm over thinking it. Zack may not have even written that song and, even if he did, it doesn't mean it is about me.' Maddie satisfies herself with this thought and concentrates on enjoying the rest of Zack's performance.

Zack's natural showmanship and talent shine up on stage. The crowd yelling, the music booming and the excitement give him a natural high. After the last number, the band packs up it's gear and wades through the throng of admirers. The rest take off while Zack heads over the table with his friends.

"Who's hungry?" He asks the group at large, obviously too wired to settle down. Zack settles an arm across Maddie's shoulders, possessively.

"We are definitely in." Cody says glancing between Maddie and Zac. "You both have some explaining to do."

"We're not the only ones." Maddie answers with her own glance between Cody and London.

"There's no way I'm missing this." Bailey laughs.

_**I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter. For those that really wanted a Cody/Bailey, I am sorry. I needed Cody/London for this story but don't worry, I have something planned for Bailey.**_

**_Please review! :-)_**


	4. Chapter 4

_**I'm glad everyone is enjoying this story. I'm having fun writing. Here's the Cody/London/Bailey story. Let me know what you think. Please Review.**_

**_*I do not own SL or it characters, just my story and my songs.*_**

Chapter 4

The five friends head out of the club which takes a while as a few more people beg Zack for an autograph… and a few girls try to shove their numbers into his tight jeans pocket, wanting to feel his butt. Zack took it all in stride and easily sidestepped the grabby girls with a charming smile and a soft 'thank you' as he took their numbers from their hands. As soon as we were out the door, he threw all the numbers in the nearest trash can. A few had tried to get to Cody too but London protectively put herself between him and the onslaught of females, giving several dirty looks.

A cool wind kicked up and everyone huddled closer together for warmth as they walked down the street to the all night café. Laughing, they pile through the door and grab the large corner booth. The girls sit together on the inside with the guys sitting at either end, Zack next to Maddie and Cody next to London.

"Hiya, Zack!" A smiling waitress walks over with an order pad and pen in hand. She looks to be in her forties with black hair, liberally streaked with gray, and laugh lines outlining her mouth. "How was the concert, handsome?"

"Hi Di. Not bad." Zack says smiling up at her.

"How many girls gave you their numbers this time?" She asks wryly. Zack just shrugs and looks down at the menu. Di laughs. "That many, huh?" She looks at the rest of us and smiles. "Who are your friends?" She asks then looks at Cody. "Oh good Lord, there are two of you! The two of you must have thrown all those girls into quite a tizzy. Wish I could have seen that." The group laughs.

"Di, this is my twin, Cody. Next to him is his girlfriend, London. In the middle is our good friend, Bailey. And this is my girlfriend, Maddie." Zack throws his arm around Maddie's shoulders possessively.

"Girlfriend?" Di asks with raised brows. "Well, it is a pleasure to meet all of you. Now, what can I get y'all to drink and eat?" We give her our orders and she walks away with a wink.

"Now, tell us what is going on." Cody demands of Zack and Maddie.

"You want to tell it since it is really your story or you want me to?" Zack looks at Maddie concerned.

"I can. I got us into this after all." Maddie takes a deep breath and explains about Greg, what happened when she saw Zack in the Library and up until the others joined them at the club. It took a while and, by the time she was done, Di had brought all of the food and drinks over to them. "I seriously don't know what I would have done if Zack hadn't been at the library. Probably run in the other direction, screaming like a lunatic."

"Always glad to help a lady in distress." Zack says gallantly with a grin.

"Now, what about you guys?" Maddie asks expectantly.

"Shortly after Cody and I broke up, I had to go home to help on the farm. It kept me so busy that I didn't talk to anyone much except through the occasional e-mail. When I got here for college, Zack and I saw each other at Freshmen Orientation." Bailey smiles fondly at the older twin. "We've been hanging out ever since when our schedules allow and I try to make it to most of his performances. Cody came to visit Zack during that first semester and we realized that what we had together was over, but we make great friends. I guess that's about it for my part in the story." She turns to Cody and London. "Your turn."

The couple look at each and smile intimately. "London came to visit me at Yale for a long weekend at the beginning of this school year. It was the first time she had come by herself. We hung out constantly, of course, and she stayed in my room because she said she would get lonely by herself at a hotel. I had a spare bed because my roommate had cracked a couple weeks before and dropped out of school." Anger suddenly flashed in Cody's eyes for a moment, startling Maddie with it's intensity. "A couple days into her visit, some guys on my floor got drunk and rowdy. London and I were on our way out but I had forgotten my wallet in my room so I ran back to get it while she waited for me by the stairs. A couple of them decided to have some fun with her and started making nasty comments about sharing my bed. Then started grabbing at her clothes." Cody stops to take a few breaths to calm down.

"I so would have kicked their asses if I hadn't been wearing four inch heels and a pencil skirt." London scowls at the memory, hugging Cody's arm. He looks down at her and smiles, laying a hand over hers.

"I know you would have." He says, confident in his girlfriends martial arts skills. "I just wish had remembered my wallet in the first place so that it would never have happened."

"It wasn't your fault, baby. It was those idiotic fools, not you." London comforts him, but Cody just shakes his head.

"I saw what was going on from down the hall and went a little crazy." Cody rubs his hands together. "I ran at them screaming and tackled the biggest guy first, taking him down. He hit his head hard on the floor and was too dazed to get back up. Standing up, I grabbed the closest one to me by the collar and yanked him into the wall next to us. The last, realizing his friends were down, took one look at me and ran away."

"Cody! You took on three guys by yourself?" Maddie asks, impressed. There is no way the old Cody could have done that.

"I really didn't think about it. I was so mad. Plus, they were drunk and I had surprised them." Cody answers modestly.

"Yep, Cody was my hero." London kisses his cheek affectionately. "We skipped going out and went back to his room and ordered delivery instead. The rest of the evening, we spent talking. Getting tired, but still wanting to talk, we sat on Cody's bed, leaning against the wall, which is where we fell asleep. In the morning, I woke up in his arms with my head against his shoulder, both of us stretched out on his bed. Laying there, I realized how safe I felt, how cared for. Looking up at Cody's face, I realized that he had woken up too and was smiling down at me with the sweetest smile. I couldn't help myself, so I kissed him." London blushes at this confession.

"I was a bit surprised but nothing ever felt more right." Cody admits. All three girls sigh at the romance of those words.

"I still wish I could have been there to take out one those assholes with you." Zack says angrily. Maddie pats him on the arm.

"Can't you just be satisfied with saving me?" She asks playfully.

"I do seem to have made a habit of it, haven't I?" Zack teases her.

"Hey, you haven't had to save me that often." Maddie says defensively, smacking him on the arm. Everyone rolls their eyes at her. "What?"

"Okay, let review." Zack holds up a hand to count off. "There was your prom. That one jerk that cheated on you in high school. The times I covered for you with Moseby. The whole eight year old prince forcing you to marry him thing. Now, I'm your fake boyfriend."

"I think there are a few more, but those the main ones that I remember too." Cody agrees with Zack.

"Okay, when you put it like that, it sounds bad." Maddie says with a pout.

"Don't worry, Mads." Zack wraps his arm around her and pulls her close. "I don't mind saving you."

Maddie looks up into Zack's eyes and gets caught. They stare at each other with small smiles until Cody clears his throat to get their attention. They jump and look at the other, guiltily.

"I think it's time to call it a night." Cody stands and help London then Bailey out of the booth. He leaves some cash on the table along with Zack's to pay the bill and tip. Zack and Maddie stand up and they head out the door after yelling goodbyes to Dy. They hug each other, saying 'goodnight' with promises of getting together again soon. Cody and London head off to London's limo which she had called to pick them up. Bailey gets into her car and waves as she drives away back to campus.

Zack opens the car door for Maddie before getting in on the driver's side. The ride back to campus was quiet but comfortable, both tired from the long evening. Zack notices Maddie yawning, half asleep in her seat.

"Why don't you stay with me tonight?" Zack looks over at her before facing the road again. "You're beat and I don't want you driving home in this condition. I've got the apartment to myself tonight. One of my roommates is away for the weekend and the other is staying at his girlfriend's place."

Maddie thinks about it for a moment. "Okay. I am really tired. Besides, I didn't drive to the library so I don't have to worry about my car."

Zack smiles slightly at her acceptance. Just before they reach campus, he turns right and drives down to a row of apartment buildings. Pulling into a parking lot, he parks in a space and turns the car off. Getting out, he opens Maddie's door and helps her out before grabbing their stuff. He leads her into a building and up to the third floor. Opening the door, Zack flips on the light to reveal the living room which is dominated by a 42 inch flat panel television with various games systems, a dvd player and several speakers. It was considerably cleaner than one would expect from an apartment full of college guys.

"My room is this way." Zack hauls their stuff down a hallway with four closed doors and two open ones which are the bathrooms. He opens the last door on the right, sets everything down off to the side and turns on the light. "This is it."

**_So what do you think Zack's room looks like? :)_**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Only 3 reviews for Chapter 4. Come on people you can do better than that! Shout outs go to my three musketeers who were kind enough to review. You guys are wonderful: xAlL-tHiNgS-sUiTe-LiFe-RoCkSx, Lennie1984, and Mad-Dog-GXO . Thank to anyone who did story/author alert/favorite too. Though you may not have said anything, I guess you enjoyed the story. : ) On to the next chapter.**_

_***I don't own SL or it's characters, just my story and the songs.***_

Chapter 5

Previously: "My room is this way." Zack hauls their stuff down a hallway with four closed doors and two open ones which are the bathrooms. He opens the last door on the right, sets everything down off to the side and turns on the light. "This is it."

Maddie walks slowly into the room and her jaw drops. She looks around at the floor, the tables and the bed in amazement. "It's clean!" Looking closer, she grins and shakes her head. "Still can't keep it tidy though."

Zack's room has dark blue walls covered by the occasional poster or picture and hardwood floors protected by a dark blue area rug. In the corner next to the door there is a stool with some music equipment and another two guitars, one acoustic and one electric. A queen size bed dominates the room, jutting out from the center of the back wall. The navy sheets and comforter or strewn about as if he had just gotten up minutes ago. The heavy oak desk set off to the right is crammed full of papers, books and school paraphernalia. Zack's bedside tables, one on either side, are overflowing with books, some of which have landed on the floor.

"Well, no one else was going to clean." Zack shrugs his shoulders and moves further into the room. "Thankfully I have a big enough bed so neither of us has to sleep on the floor."

"You and me? Together in a bed?" Maddie asks, nervously eyeing the bed in question.

"It's either that or the floor. We all lock our rooms for privacy and, trust me, you don't want to sleep on the couch in the front room." Zack sighs. "If it really freaks you out that much, I can sleep on the floor."

"No, I can't kick you out of your own bed." Maddie rejects that idea to Zack's relief. "It's okay. We can share."

"Do you want to borrow some clothes to sleep in?" Zack walks over to door next to the stool, opens it and starts digging through the clothes when Maddie nods her head. "How about this?" Zack hold up an old pair of cotton shorts and a black tee-shirt with a drawing of a silver guitar on it.

"That should work." Maddie grabs the clothes and heads into one of the hall baths to change into the other outfit. Unfortunately, the shorts keep falling down around her ankles but at least the shirt covers down to her knees. She walks back into Zack's room holding her pile of clothes and the extra pair of shorts. "No luck with the shorts." Maddie lays her clothes down on her bags and turns to find Zack staring at her. "What?"

"Nothing." Zack shakes his head. "You just look good in my shirt." He mumbles as he walks out the door to use the bathroom. He comes back in wearing a pair of sleep shorts and nothing else, showing off a well toned body.

Maddie stares appreciatively at him as he throws his clothes into a hamper in the corner but manages to look away before he notices. Zack wearing just shorts is dangerous for a girl's heart rate. She takes a couple deep breaths to calm herself down and keep herself from attacking him. 'This is Zack. This is Zack. He's my boyfriend. No, he's my fake boyfriend. Hot, fake boyfriend. Stop thinking about it. I can't.' Maddie argues with herself as she sits down on the bed. Maddie feels the bed dip behind her as climbs under the covers.

"Are you going to get in bed?" Zack yawns and rolls onto his belly.

"Yeah." Maddie turns off the light and makes her way to the other side of the bed. Crawling in, she curls up and covers herself with the covers. "Goodnight Zack."

"Night Maddie." Zack whisper, sounding almost asleep.

Maddie, laying on one side of the bed, watches as Zack's back moves with each breath he takes. There is just enough light to see his outline. She falls asleep still watching him.

Zack is highly aware of the girl sleeping next to him. Staring into the darkness, he contemplates the situation they are in. He loves and hates having Maddie so close, pretending to be a couple. The truth is that he's still in love with her so this is absolute torture.

He learned how to live without her, little by little, a long time ago. As her fake boyfriend and getting to be so affectionate with her, he is having trouble reminding himself that this isn't real. 'Maddie doesn't actually want me. I'm just doing her a favor. I can't let myself forget that. She doesn't love me like that.' Zack tells himself as he finally falls asleep.

Early the next morning Maddie wakes up warm and snug. Feeling someone's breath on the back of her neck, her eyes fly open. Looking down, she sees a very masculine arm wrapped tightly around her waist. Over her shoulder is a crop of dark blonde hair and a face buried in her hair. The night before comes back to her and she relaxes into Zack. Deciding to enjoy this small pleasure while she can, she falls back asleep.

Waking up again later, Maddie is alone in the bed. Stretching she walks out of the bedroom and wanders through the apartment looking for Zack. Finding herself alone, she sits on the couch and turns on the television. Just then the front door opens and a very sweaty Zack walks in.

"Hey, you're awake!" Zack stretches out his legs and arms. "Want some breakfast?"

"Where were you?" Maddie stares at him. Normally she finds sweaty guys kind of gross. Zack's exposed skin glistening as he stretches out all those lovely muscles, his damp hair curling a bit around his face, he is about as far from gross as you can get. He's delicious.

"Just out running." Zack takes a quick drink from his water bottle. "Let me get a quick shower and then we can have some breakfast." He grins at her and walks down the hall.

'Don't think about him in the shower. Don't picture anything warm, sudsy or wet. Ahh, I just pictured it. Damn, watch TV.' Maddie distracts herself flipping channels until he comes back dressed in his pajama bottoms from last night and a white tee shirt. She gets up and follows him into the kitchen where he is pulling stuff out of the refrigerator.

"So what are we having?" Maddie asks coming up behind him.

"How about omelets?" Zack asks.

"Okay. Want some help?" Maddie smiles at him.

"Sure." Zack hands her the eggs and a large bowl. "You can scramble the eggs while I chop the veggies and brown the sausage." They work in a comfortable silence until Zack has the omelets sizzling on the stove. Maddie moves up and wraps her arms around his waist from the back as he checks their food.

"Thanks for making breakfast." Maddie says. Turning so he can wrap an arm around her, he hugs her back, smiling.

"You're welcome." He leans down and places a soft kiss on her forehead. "Thanks for helping."

"I go away for a couple days and I apparently miss everything." A deep voice says from the behind them. Startled they spring apart and look at the newcomer.

"Cole?" Maddie asks incredulously.

"In the flesh." Cole laughs. "How have you been Maddie?"

"Not bad." Maddie turns to Zack. "You didn't tell me your cousin was one of your roommates."

"You never asked." Zack laughs. "How was the trip, Cole?"

"Good. Your mom said to tell you hi and that she misses her little men." Cole grins at Zack's blush. "Hard to believe she still calls you that when you tower over her. Any chance I can get one of those omelets? I missed breakfast."

"Yeah, sure." Zack finishes cooking while Maddie finds some plates and silverware. She sets the table for three places and pours juice for everyone before sitting down. Zack plates the omelets and everyone digs in. After eating their fill, Zack clears off the table and sets everything in the dishwasher. "I'll be back in a minute." He heads down the hall.

"So Maddie." Cole grins at her. "Not that you don't look lovely wearing Zack's shirt, but maybe you should get dressed."

Maddie, blushing ten shades of red, yelps and runs out of the room. She had forgotten what she was wearing. Cole's laughter follows her down the hall. Not looking, she rushes into the bedroom and plows into Zack. They land in a tangled mass of arms and legs on the bed.

"Sorry." Maddie says looking down at him. She freezes and her eye widen. Zack is wearing nothing but a pair of thin boxes and she is, quite intimately, pressed up against every square inch of him. "Oh dear."

**_Anyone want to hazard a guess what happens next? :) Please review!_**


	6. Chapter 6

_**Thanks to my wonderful reviewers: psav2005, gabgaws12, xAlL-tHiNgS-sUiTe-LiFe-RoCkSx, Mad-Dog-GXO, and jocsa. Loving the dedication of my readers! I hope the story continues to entertain you. Thank you to the rest of the people who took the time to read/favorite/alert this story, too.**_

_***No, I really do not own SL or it's characters. I do own this story and the songs herein.***_

_Previously: "Sorry." Maddie says looking down at him. She freezes and her eye widen. Zack is wearing nothing but a pair of thin boxes and she is, quite intimately, pressed up against every square inch of him. "Oh dear."_

_Chapter 6_

Zack groans underneath Maddie, his hands tightening at her waist. He closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths. Maddie tries to move but Zack refuses to let go. She hears another groan, almost a growl.

"Are you okay?" Maddie looks down at him in concern. "Zack, did I hurt you?" He doesn't answer so she starts running her hand over him trying to find any place that might be hurt. Zack releases her waist only to grab hold of her hands and hold them away from his body. This pulls her more closely against his bare chest. Zack literally growls at this point. He manages to stand up, bringing her up with him, and sets her away from him.

Maddie looks into his stormy eyes to see the passion burning there. Her nerves still on fire from being so close to him, Maddie stops thinking and pushes him back onto the bed where he sits, surprised by her actions. Giving him a seductive half smile, she sits on his lap, wrapping her legs around his waist. Grabbing handfuls of his hair, she pulls him down for a searing kiss. Zack, lost to everything but the woman in front of him, caresses Maddie's back before settling his hands on her bottom. Maddie turns her head, inviting a deeper kiss and their tongues clash in an intimate dance. Zack's hands tighten their hold, pushing her against him. Through the thin boxer material, she can feel him throbbing and her body jerks in response causing them both to moan.

Zack lays back and rolls over so he is on top, never breaking their hold. He nibbles on her lips and works his way down her throat, one of his hand rubbing tantalizing circles on her stomach. Just as he was pulling the shirt up to get to her naked skin, they hear on a knock on the door.

"Cody's on the phone. He wants to know if the three of us want to meet them for lunch." Cole grins to himself, wondering what he may have interrupted. The silence in the bedroom was deafening as Zack rolls away from Maddie. They close their eyes trying to calm down their racing hearts. Zack sighs and sits up, glaring at the door, which makes Maddie giggle.

"Sure. Find out where he wants to meet. We'll be out in a minute." Zack replies, his voice gruff with frustration. Cole's footsteps can be heard walking back down the hall and Zack looks over at Maddie. "So, you think this is funny?" He pretends to glare at her. Her eyes widen, innocently.

"Me? Why would I think this is funny?" She yelps when Zack grabs her, pulling her onto his lap. He places small, soft kisses at the base of her neck trailing up to her moist, red lips. He hovers above her mouth, a butterfly touch making her whimper for more.

"Still think it's funny?" Zack whispers as he claims her lips once more. Before he can lose himself again, he breaks away and sets her back down on the bed. "Much as I really want to continue, we should get dressed. Cole's waiting for us." Maddie pouts but gets up and grabs her clothes from last night, heading out the door to the bathroom. Coming back a while later, she sits down on the bed and watches as Zack puts on a shirt, entranced by the play of muscles across his chest and abdomen.

"Could you give me a ride home? I really need to change into some clean clothes." Maddie asks.

"Sure. We can go take care of that then come back and pick up Cole on our way to meet for lunch." Zack leans over and gives her a quick kiss. "You ready to go?"

"Yep." Maddie answers, grabbing her stuff from beside the door. Zack picks up his wallet and keys and follows her out to the living room.

"Cole, we'll be back later to pick you up. I'm going to take Maddie home so she can get changed." Zack says to his cousin. "What time are we meeting Cody?"

"12:30." Cole looks up from the television program he's watching. "So, what is going on with you guys? You never did say."

"We'll explain later." Zack tells him, ushering Maddie out the door. "See ya."

A short while later, they walk through Maddie's front door. She has a single room in graduate housing on campus. Looking around, Zack smiles at the décor that just screams Maddie's personality. Everything is colorful with tons of frames showing pictures of her family and friends.

"This is so you." Zack laughs.

"I'm going to go change. Make yourself comfortable." Maddie motions to the small sofa set in front of the TV. "Feel free to raid the fridge if you get thirsty." With that, she walk through a doorway to the right of the living room and shuts the door.

Zack wonders around looking at the various pictures. Most of them seem to be of her family with a few scattered around that he didn't recognize. Chuckling to himself, he sees the one taken of Maddie and London at the almost failed prom. Picking it up, he notices a small picture in a silver frame sitting behind it. It had tiny engraved hearts circling it and the year of the prom written in one corner. Lifting it up, his eyes widen as he sees a much younger Zack and Maddie dancing together wrapped in each others arms. They are looking into each other's eyes smiling. "I didn't know anyone had taken our picture." He mumbles to himself, staring at the photo.

"You know, that has always been one of my favorite photos." Maddie says quietly from beside him.

"Where did you even get it? I don't remember anyone taking our picture." Zack asks.

"London took it. I didn't know either until she handed me this copy." Maddie takes the picture out of Zack's hands and brushes her fingertips across the images. "You made that night perfect." She looks up at him, her brow crinkled in thought. "I'm sorry I didn't keep my promise."

"What promise?" Zack asks though he knows exactly which one she's talking about. He has never forgotten anything Maddie says, even though he really tried for a while. Maddie raises her eyebrows at him expectantly then looks back down at the picture. "You mean the promise to dance with me at my prom?" She nods her head. "Don't worry about. I didn't even go to my prom so I wouldn't have been there for you to dance with anyway." Zack chuckles trying to make light of it.

"Why didn't you go to your prom?" Maddie questions.

"I didn't feel like it." Zack answers moving away from her, ending their conversation. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yep." Maddie picks up her purse and keys, still puzzling over Zack not going to his prom. "Let's grab a coffee at the Octane Café on our way back. I could really use a latte."

"Sounds good." Zack leads her out the door and waits while she locks up. They drive over to the popular coffee house and order drinks for themselves and one for Cole before heading back to Zack's apartment. Cole gratefully takes the cup from them when they come inside. He sits down in the recliner next to the couch while Zack and Maddie sit on the couch.

"So tell me what's going on?" Cole looks at them curiously. "When I left, Zack was single, concentrating only on his school work and music. I come back a couple days later and find the two of you running around half dressed making breakfast. What did I miss?" He grins wickedly. "And don't leave out any of the steamy details."

"Cole!" Maddie yells, embarrassed, while Zack laughs at his cousin. They proceed to tell him the whole story, taking turns to explain their parts in it, leading up to the sleep over last night and this morning's breakfast. Cole remains quiet the whole time, not wanting to interrupt. After they finish, he blows out a breath and runs his fingers through is dark gold hair, his sky blue eyes wide.

"That's quite a story." He leans back in his seat and takes a sip of his coffee, mulling over the events. "This Greg guy sounds like a real ass. Let me know if you need any help getting him off your back, I'd be happy to help."

"Thanks, but I'm hoping my fake dating Zack will do the trick." Maddie says with a smile.

"Speaking of that, you have me confused." Cole looks from Maddie to Zack. "Are you really 'fake' dating? Because it looks very convincingly real to me after this morning."

Zack looks at Maddie, unsure of what to say. Maddie looks back at Zack, equally confused by the situation. Cole looks at both of them and rolls his eyes, sighing. He gets up and throws his paper cup away. Deciding to give them some space, he walks into his room and closes the door.

_**I know this is a little cliffhanger but I'm sure you can handle it. Let me know what you thought of this chapter. Love it? Hate it? Just so-so? Please Review! How many of you are frustrated that I didn't explain about Zack's prom? *evil grin***_


	7. Chapter 7

_**The last chapter was really popular! I got 11 reviews! Thanks for speaking up: xoxtruegryffindorxox, Tinkelbell11, psav2005, lovepeacechoclate, xAlL-tHiNgS-sUiTe-LiFe-RoCkSx, CraziiCookii, gabgaws12, jocsa, Mad-Dog-GXO, HopelesslyDyingInside17, and bunnykim89. Thanks for all of my silent readers too, you don't say much but I know you're out there! : )**_

_***I do not own SL or it's characters, just my story and songs***_

**Previously:**

_"Speaking of that, you have me confused." Cole looks from Maddie to Zack. "Are you really 'fake' dating? Because it looks very convincingly real to me after this morning."_

_Zack looks at Maddie, unsure of what to say. Maddie looks back at Zack, equally confused by the situation. Cole looks at both of them and rolls his eyes, sighing. He gets up and throws his paper cup away. Deciding to give them some space, he walks into his room and closes the door._

_Chapter 7_

"He's not wrong." Maddie says quietly, looking down at her hands.

"I know." Zack answers, watching Maddie. They sit in silence for a while.

"Do we have to figure it out right now?" Maddie asks, still looking at her hands which are clasped in front of her. "I really don't want to think about it right now with everything that's going on." Zack gets down on his knees in front of her, laying one hand on hers and using the other gently lift her face up to look at him. She looks worried and unsure. He smiles at her.

"We don't have to figure anything out right now." Zack assures her. "Let's just go on the way we have been and let the pieces fall where they may. Later, when we are ready, we can figure us out. For now, I'm here and happy just getting to spend time with you. If people ask, we can say we are seeing each other, which is in fact the truth." He grins impishly at her, one reminiscent of his younger self when he was playing pranks. It charms her just as it did back then.

Maddie pulls him into a hug, laying her head on his shoulder. "Thank you Zack."

"Anytime, Sweet Thang." He stands up and pulls her into his arms for a quick kiss. "We should probably tell Cole he can come out now but I think I'm going to take advantage of our time alone first." He presses his lips against hers once more, at first gently as if asking for permission. When Maddie sighs and grabs the front of his shirt to hold him close, he gets more aggressive. Zack nibbles at her lips until she opens them, deepening the kiss. His hands move to her lower back and presses her up against him, her soft curves melding into his hard body. Lost in the heat of the moment, his hands go even lower to grasp her bottom. He lifts her up and she wraps her legs around his waist causing him to moan in pleasure. From her new position, Maddie takes control of the kissing and runs her lips along his chin and down the length of his throat to nibble on the that sensitive spot at its base. Zack, feeling shockwaves coursing through his body, sits down on the edge of the couch, his legs unable to hold him anymore. Maddie, enjoying making him shudder, works her way back up to his lips for another heated kiss. They part to catch their breath, Maddie's forehead against his.

"Don't shoot me for interrupting but we need to get going if we are going to meet the others on time." They both turn at the sound of Cole's voice, staring at him with identical glazed looks. He shakes his head at them, hoping they managed to talk before making out. "You coming?" He asks as he walks out the door. They both jump up to follow him without a word.

They walk down to a local bar-n-grill a few blocks off campus. It's a dive but has the best burgers around. Arriving a little early they grab a large table near the bar and order sodas while they wait for the others to arrive. Not long after, Cody and London sit down across from Zack and Maddie. Bailey follows and sit across from Cole, next to London.

"So you're Bailey?" Cole smiles at her. "I've heard a lot about you."

"You guys haven't met yet?" Maddie asks curious.

"Nope." Bailey answers with a smile. "We seem to have kept missing each other until now. It's a pleasure to meet you, Cole." She holds out her hand and he shakes it briefly while she studies his face. "The guys are right, you do look an awful lot like Cody. If you weren't older, I'd swear they got the twins mixed up." Cole laughs at that.

"We get that a lot. Just be thankful my brother, Dylan, isn't here. He's a slightly older version of Zack." Zack and Cody both nod in agreement. "There aren't many people who can tell the four of us apart."

"I'll bet." Bailey says.

The rest of lunch is spent talking and having fun. They decide to head back to Zack and Cole's apartment to watch a movie. Cody, London and Bailey drive down while Cole, Zack and Maddie decide to walk back. They are joking around with Maddie standing between the guys when they hear someone yelling from across the street.

"Maddie! Hey Maddie!" Greg trots over to them and walks in step next to Zack. He eyes the two cousins in distaste and doesn't acknowledge them. "How's it going?" Zack grunts at him in response and rolls his eyes at Cole. Maddie shrugs, not wanting to talk to him. Cole catches on quickly that this is the guy that is causing Maddie so much grief and gives him a nasty look. Greg, unfazed, stares at Maddie. "Do you have any plans for next Friday? There's this great restaurant downtown that I just know you'll love, very expensive."

Zack wraps an arm around Maddie's waist and glares are Greg. Maddie grabs his hand and holds on, needing the comfort of Zack's touch. "Sorry, I'm busy." She looks up at Zack with an adoring smile which he returns. They reach the apartments to find the others outside waiting for them.

Greg looks away from Maddie when they join the new group. Seeing Cody, he looks from Cody to Zack to Cole and back again. "What the hell? Just how many of you are there?" Disgusted, he walks off in a huff, not bothering to wait for an answer or to say goodbye.

Watching Greg walk away, Cody and Zack look at each other with the same idea running through their heads. Their grins spread across their faces, devilish and full of mischief. The girls stare at them, knowing what those looks mean having seen these smiles before all of their best pranks.

"Cole, do you think Dylan would be willing to come for a visit?" Cody asks his cousin. Cole, catching on, matches his cousins' grins.

"I think he can be persuaded." Cole answers as they head into the apartment.

_**I have a plan, oh yes, I have a plan! Hehe. So what did y'all think? Love it? Like it? Hate it? Send me your thoughts! Please Review!**_


	8. Chapter 8 Part 1

_**Thanks to all of my wonderful reviews: psav2005, HopelesslyDyingInside17, Mad-Dog-GXO, xAIL-tHiNgS-sUiTe-LiFe-RoCkSx, StarfishOnTheBeach, and xoxtruegryffindorxox. Thank you to all of my wonderful readers as well. Sorry this took a bit to update.**_

_***I do NOT own SL or GQ, just my story and songs.***_

_**Previously:**_

_**"Cole, do you think Dylan would be willing to come for a visit?" Cody asks his cousin. Cole, catching on, matches his cousins' grins.**_

_**"I think he can be persuaded." Cole answers as they head into the apartment.**_

Chapter 8 Part 1

More often than over the next week, Maddie could be found with Zack during her spare time. They would hang out at his apartment or she would listen during his band's practice. They would study together at the library which Maddie finds to be a fascinating experience. Never having thought of him as being particularly studious, she found this side of Zack very attractive. The way he bites his lower lip when he's concentrating or mumbles to himself while jotting down notes sends tingles through her heart much like his touch does with the rest of her.

After Maddie finishes classes the following Friday, she heads over to Zack's place to see him. She knock lightly on the door and walks in after hearing someone yell that it's open. Walking into the living room, she stops suddenly at the sight before her. The girl in her squeals in delight at the sight of four extremely attractive, almost identical males dominating the room. They lounge about on various chairs and all smile broadly at her.

"Disconcerting isn't it?" London says from the kitchen table where she is sitting with Bailey.

"No kidding!" Maddie answers, her voice a little high pitched. "Thank God all four of you don't go to this school. I don't think the female population could handle it." The guys laugh while the girls roll their eyes. Maddie sets down her bag and walks over to Zack, sitting down on his lap since no other seats are available. London, liking this idea, comes over and sits down on Cody's leaving Bailey to sit by herself at the table. Cole, not wanting to leave her out, waves her over to his recliner and pats the armrest. Bailey happily takes sits there, giving Cole a small smile in thanks.

"Now that we're all here, what's the plan?" Dylan asks the group. "Cole didn't give me many details other than to say someone was messing with our Maddie and you need my help. No body messes with one of our girls." Maddie blushes at that and Zack wraps an arm around her for a quick hug. They quickly tell Dylan about Greg and everything leading up to now. Dylan, upset, stands up and pulls Maddie into his arms for a brotherly hug. "Don't worry Maddie. We'll take care of this."

"Hey, get your own girl." Zack tells him, good-naturedly, pulling Maddie back down onto his lap. Maddie kisses Zack on the cheek affectionately before turning back to Dylan.

"Thanks for coming to help." Maddie says with a smile.

"That brings us back to the matter at hand." Dylan says, sitting back down. "What is the plan?"

Just as they are going to explain, another knock is heard on the front door. "They're here!" Maddie squeals, jumping up to answer the door. She opens is wide and hugs the three girls who enter enthusiastically. Maddie and the newcomers turn to face the room and everyone stares at them as they stare right back. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet my sisters: Shannon, Elizabeth and Moira." She points to each girl in turn. "Girls, these are my friends: London and Cody, Bailey, Cole, Dylan and Zack." Everyone waves as their name is mentioned.

"I can't believe how much you look alike." Cody says in astonishment. The rest nod their heads in agreement. The only one not really shocked is Zack because he had seen pictures of her family, which is how they came up with their plan.

"Us?" The girls say in unison. Moira on the end laughs. "Have you guys looked in the mirror lately?"

Zack and Dylan grab the chairs from the dining room and set them in the living room so everyone can sit down together. They resume their seats and Maddie sits back down on Zack's lap, making sure her sisters don't get any ideas about him. The sisters sit down and look at Zack intently, causing him to blush from their scrutiny.

"So this is the famous Zack you've told us about." Shannon says from her spot by Bailey.

Zack grins up at Maddie. "Been talking about me huh?" He teases, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Try nonstop for years." Shannon answers for her, warming up to her topic. "When we were kids, she was always coming home with stories of your exploits, saying how clever you are and how sweet. We actually got sick of hearing it. Zack this. Zack that. An occasional Cody thrown in or London from time to time but always you. It's fun to finally meet you in person. You are a legend at our house."

"A legend, huh?" Zack raises an eyebrow at Maddie.

"Oh don't give me that look." Maddie smacks his arm. "With all those crazy stunts you pulled at the Tipton, is it any wonder you came up in conversation a lot?"

"Oh please!" Elizabeth rolls her eyes at Maddie. "We all know that, if it wasn't for the age gap, you would have been all over him. You were crazy over Zack even back then."

Maddie buries her face in Zack's neck in embarrassment. "I never should have invited them." She mumbles. "Can't we get back to the topic at hand?"

"I don't know. I'm finding this conversation pretty fascinating." Zack answers with a cocky twist to his lips. "I think I'd like to hear more."

"Zack." Maddie says warningly.

"Fine." Zack gives up for now. "So, we have a plan. It's going to make this Greg character wish he had never even heard of Maddie Fitzpatrick." He explains the plan to everyone and, with a few suggestions and alterations, they are all on board. "Sweet Thang, why don't you take the girls into my room so they can change their outfits. Guys, follow me into Cole's for yours." The two groups separate into the different rooms to get ready. London and Bailey help Maddie and her sisters with their hair and makeup.

Zack knocks on his bedroom door. "Everyone decent?" The door opens and he walks in to find four 'Maddies' wearing identical short black dresses with sparkly belts, identical hairdos and identical makeup. "Impressive." Zack compliments before going without hesitation to the real Maddie to give her a kiss.

"How did you know it was me?" Maddie asks with her arms wrapped around his waist.

"For one, I'm a twin so I know how to tell people apart by the details." Zack answers. "For two, I'd know you even if I was blindfolded."

"Aaaawwwww." Several pairs of eyes stare at Zack in feminine admiration. Maddie looking around, gives them a glare and hugs Zack closer.

"We're ready to go whenever you are." Zack lets go of Maddie and walks back out the door with a wink. "We'll be waiting in the living room."

"I'd try to steal that hunk of yumminess from you Maddie but he really doesn't see anyone but you." Moira says, looking at the closed door dreamily. "You are so lucky."

"Dylan is still available." Maddie answers with a smile.

Moira grins back at her. "Enough said."

The girls grab their matching purses and leave the bedroom. In the living room, they find the guys standing around talking about the upcoming night. Hearing the girls approach, they turn and take the girls breath away. All four guys are wearing black slacks and white button down shirts, so gorgeous they look like the cover for GQ.

Zack claps his hands and rubs them together, getting everyone's attention. "I think we are ready to go. Maddie is suppose to be at the restaurant at seven. London, who's friends with the owner, has the wait staff ready and will be seated at a table nearby as backup. She has also arranged to have Bailey as our waitress. Greg never paid any attention to her so with a different hair style and glasses, he won't recognize her. Moira and Dylan will be the first to go in. Next Elizabeth and Cole. Then Shannon and Cody. Finally, Maddie and me. I'll leave it up to you how you want to steal your 'Maddie' away, just remember the next 'Maddie' can't go in until the previous one leaves. Greg can not see more than one of you until the end. Everyone got it?"

They all nod their heads and leave in the couples assigned, each discussing their plan of action. The last out the door, are Maddie and Zack. After locking up, he takes her hand and laces their fingers together. "Don't worry, Sweet Thang. We've got this." He kisses the back of her hand.

Later, outside the restaurant…

_**Yes, I know y'all want to hear about the prank. I will get it up ASAP. Meanwhile, let me know what you think of this first half. Please Review!**_


	9. Chapter 8 Part 2

_***I don't own SL, just the story and songs.***_

_**Previously:**_

_**They all nod their heads and leave in the couples assigned, each discussing their plan of action. The last out the door, are Maddie and Zack. After locking up, he takes her hand and laces their fingers together. "Don't worry, Sweet Thang. We've got this." He kisses the back of her hand.**_

_**Later, outside the restaurant…**_

Chapter 8 Part 2

Bailey walks into the restaurant to scope it out and comes back with her report. "Greg is waiting at the table, his back to us. Come on." We quickly sneak into the lobby and hide off to the side where the diners can't see us. London pecks Cody on the lips before following the hostess to her table.

"Bailey and Moira, you're up. Dyl will be over in a few minutes." Zack says, his arm around Maddie's waist. "Make it look convincing." Bailey, dresses as one of the servers, leads Maddie-Moira to Greg's table and asks to take their drink orders. Greg stands while Maddie-Moira takes her seat and orders a bottle of wine.

"I knew you would come to your senses." Greg says, sliding his hand towards Maddie-Moira's. "I am so much better than that cretin you…"

"Maddie!" Zack-Cole runs up to the table and grabs Maddie-Moira's hand, pulling her up into his arms. "I need to talk to you, please." He leads her off to a hidden alcove.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Greg says furiously but they are already gone. He looks down at the table and starts to stand up when Maddie-Elizabeth walks up to the table. "What was that all about?"

"What was what all about?" Maddie-Elizabeth asks him in confusion. "Are you okay?"

"You know what, never mind." Greg shakes himself and smiles silkily at Maddie-Elizabeth. "Where were we?" He slides his hand back over to hers. She came back so she must want him, right?

"I think we were going to discuss what to order." Maddie-Elizabeth answers, ignoring his hand and picking up the menu.

"You don't need that." Greg grabs the menu from her and tosses it to the other side of the table. "I'll order for both of us." He scoots his chair closer and leans towards her but is interrupted again.

"Maddie, where have you been?" Zack-Cole walks up to the table. He pulls out Maddie-Elizabeth's chairs and picks her up into his arms, bridal style. "We still need to finish our conversation." Zack-Cole buries his face in her neck and carries over to the same alcove.

"Now, wait just a minute here." Greg stands up to follow them but is blocked by Bailey, who has brought their wine. She displays the label for him to approve.

"Sir, is this to your liking?" Bailey asks.

"Yes, yes, just leave the bottle." Greg answers impatiently, glancing at the bottle.

"Oh goody, the wine is here." Maddie-Shannon sits down in the vacant chair. "Are you going to open that?" She looks up at Greg, expectantly.

"What just happened?" Greg looks down at her, confused. "Where'd that blonde oaf go?"

"Blonde oaf?" Maddie-Shannon looks at him in concern. "Whatever. Are we having wine or are you going to just stand there with your mouth open?"

"Um, wine. Of course." Greg regains his composure with some difficulty, but manages to open the bottle and smile at Maddie-Shannon. "Wine for the lady?" He asks. At her nod, he pours a glass for each of them and sits down. "I think a toast is in order. To your good sense and good taste in choosing me…" Once more he is interrupted.

"Madeleine Fitzpatrick!" Zack-Cody storms up to their table and yanks her up to her feet. "We are not done, yet." He quickly throws her over his shoulder, much to the astonishment of Greg, and hauls her off to the alcove where the others are waiting.

Stunned, Greg sits for a moment. "What a barbarian!" He jumps up to follow but collides with their waitress and they both fall on the floor. "Watch where you're going, you clumsy wench! I'll have you fired for this!"

"So sorry." Bailey mumbles, picking herself up off the floor.

"What is going on here?" Maddie asks with a raise eyebrow.

"Nothing." Greg says immediately, straightening his jacket. "Is everything okay?" He eyes her suspiciously. "He's not going to come back again is he?"

"Is who not going to come back again?" Maddie asks as they take their seats. "Ooh, wine!" She take a sip of the heady beverage. "Delicious."

"O-o-of course!" Greg eyes her and then searches around the room. "Only the best for me."

"Are you looking for someone?" Maddie asks with a pleasant smile. "You are looking a bit jumpy."

"No!" Greg shouts. "Let's just order. Waitress!"

Bailey walks over with a pad and pen ready. "Are you ready to order, sir?"

"Yes. I'll have the filet mignon, medium rare and she'll have the salmon special." Greg smiles at Maddie, condescendingly. "That will be all." He dismisses Bailey with a slight wave.

The small orchestra at the back of the room begin to play a lovely slow song, flooding the room with soft music. Greg leans over to Maddie to say something in her ear when she is suddenly pulled up from her seat. Looking up, he sees her locked in a heated embrace with Zack. Both of them lost in the kiss, they barely hear Greg when he yells. "NO! This is not happening again!"

Zack pulls away from Maddie, a warm fire burning in his eyes. "I love you, Maddie." He says simply. "Dance with me?"

"Oh Zack." Maddie says with a sigh as he leads her down to the dance floor. Zack wraps her in his arms and they sway gently to the music. The other 'Zack' and 'Maddie' couples join them.

"What the hell is going on?" Greg yells as he steps to the edge of the dance floor, causing all four couples to look over at him. "No! No! No! How many of you are there? God, I don't even want to know!" He runs out of the restaurant, muttering to himself about clones and transferring to someplace sane.

"That went quite well, I think." London says, walking over to the dance floor. "Who's ready to eat?"

Cody grins at his girlfriend and gives her a hug. "I'm starving."

London, holding Cody's hand, leads everyone to the long table she had the wait staff set up for them. It was already loaded down with several of the best dishes the restaurant has to offer and set so they can eat family style. Everyone takes a seat and loads their plates up with the delicious food. Zack stands up at the end of the table and raises his glass of soda.

"Thank you for coming and helping me to rescue Maddie." Zack grins as Maddie, sitting to his right, smacks him on the stomach. "We make one hell of a family." The others raise their glasses with smiles on their faces. "To family." Zack sits back down, taking a sip of his drink.

"So what exactly has Maddie been saying about me?" Zack asks Maddie's sisters, a devilish gleam in his eyes.

"Zack." Maddie says, claiming his attention. She grabs his head and pulls his face over to hers with a smile. "Shut up." With that, she kisses him soundly.

_**Not done yet. What did you think of the prank? Please Review!**_


	10. Chapter 9

_**Virtual hugs and chocolate chip cookies to my wonderful reviewers for the last chapter: StarfishOnTheBeach, lovepeacechoclate, psav2005, gabgaws12 and Mad-Dog-GXO. I'm so glad you loved the prank! Thanks to the rest of you who read/alerted/favorited this story.**_

_***I really do not own SL, I promise. I do own this story and the songs.***_

_Previously:_

_"Thank you for coming and helping me to rescue Maddie." Zack grins as Maddie, sitting to his right, smacks him on the stomach. "We make one hell of a family." The others raise their glasses with smiles on their faces. "To family." Zack sits back down, taking a sip of his drink._

_"So what exactly has Maddie been saying about me?" Zack asks Maddie's sisters, a devilish gleam in his eyes._

_"Zack." Maddie says, claiming his attention. She grabs his head and pulls his face over to hers with a smile. "Shut up." With that, she kisses him soundly._

Chapter 9

After supper, everyone heads back to Zack's apartment to grab their stuff. Cody and London are the first to leave. Wanting to spend some quiet time together, they go back to London's hotel suite. Dylan, flirting shamelessly with Moira, asks her to a late movie which she readily accepts. Cole and Bailey decide to watch a DVD on the television so they take over the couch in the living room.

Zack takes Maddie's hand and leads her back into his bedroom, wanting a little privacy and to unwind from the evening's events. Maddie crawls to the middle of the bed and sits down with her legs crossed in front of her. With pleasure and a tingling feeling in the bottom of her stomach, she watches as Zack undresses down to his boxers and pulls on a pair of sleep shorts. Noticing her regard, he winks at her before sitting on the bed himself, leaning against the headboard.

"What a night." Zack says crossing his arms behind his head. Maddie scoots back so she is next to him and nods her head.

"Thanks for helping me." Maddie looks over at him with a smile. "You were amazing."

Zack shrugs his shoulders. "Anytime, Sweet Thang."

Maddie sits quietly with a puzzled look on her face. Opening her mouth, she begins to say something, but changes her mind and closes it again. She looks over at Zack again, curiosity, confusion and the barest glimmer of hope lighting up her eyes.

"What Maddie?" Zack asks, concerned.

"Well, its…" Maddie starts but isn't sure how to continue. "Um, I was wondering…"

"Come on Mads, spit it out." Zack laughs. "You can ask me anything."

"Well, it's been bugging me since you came over to my place." Maddie says, curiosity getting the better of her. "Why didn't you go to your prom?"

"I told you, I didn't feel like it." Zack looks down at his hands, avoiding her gaze.

"Zack." Maddie lays a hand on his. "Tell me why you didn't go."

"Why do you want to know?" Zack asks impatiently, still avoiding the subject.

"I just do, okay." Maddie squeezes his hand. "Please tell me."

"Fine." Zack rolls his eyes and looks out the window. "I couldn't go with the person I wanted to go with so I didn't see the point in going. I would have had a bad time missing her and it would have been a downer for everyone else."

"Oh." Maddie says in understanding. "Why couldn't she go with you?"

"She didn't go to Seven Seas High and was busy with school in New York." Zack glances over at Maddie. "I didn't want to go with just anyone."

"I can understand that." Maddie agrees. She wonders if he is talking about her, after all she was going to college in New York at the time. Her heart flutters at the thought but she tries to calm herself down. He might not be talking about her. "I was lucky enough to have you at my prom. I wish I could have gone to yours."

"I wish you could have too but I understand why you couldn't." Zack rubs his thumb across her knuckles. "You can't skip out on exams, especially when you are on scholarship."

"True, but I still wish I could have gone." Maddie whispers, gently laying her head on his shoulder. "I've really missed you."

"Me too." Zack lays his head on hers.

"Tonight you said something that got to me and I want to know if you meant it." Maddie sits up, dislodging their heads.

"What's that?" Zack asks.

Maddie stays silent for a long time, debating on whether to ask him. It's been driving her crazy since he said it. Deciding that he is worth the risk, she turns to him with a shy smile.

"You said you loved me. Is it true or were you just saying that for show?" Maddie finally gets out, blushing crimson. "You sounded so serious that I wanted to believe you." Zack wraps his arms around her and pulls her onto his lap.

"Maddie, it's the truth." Zack sighs as he looks into her eyes, unable to hide his heart anymore. Of course, with Maddie he's never been able to hide his feelings. "I love you. I've always loved you and I always will love you. From the moment I met you there's been no one but you."

"I love you too, Zack." Maddie wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him softly on the lips, happy to finally be able to admit it. "I realized it when I visited you on the S.S. Tipton, but I was too scared to say anything. Then I didn't see you for a long time and I missed you so much. You rarely text or e-mailed me and I thought you had moved on." A tear slips down her cheek and she buries her face in his shoulder.

Zack hugs her closer and kisses the top of her head. 'She loves me!' He can't help shouting in his head but tries to remain calm. Seeing Maddie cry sobers him quickly and he decides to tell her the real reason behind his silence towards her. "I was miserable when you left the boat. Just ask Cody. I barely left my room except for school and work. I stopped talking to you because it hurt too much trying to be friends when I wanted so much more."

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Maddie raises her tear stained face to look at Zack. "Cody and London never said a word. When I asked about you, they always said you were doing fine and studying hard to bring your grades up for college."

"I made them promise not to say anything." Zack closes his eyes, trying not to think about those first few months after Maddie left. "I didn't want to worry you or make you feel guilty. Although, I'm surprised you didn't guess when they told you I was 'studying hard'." He opens his eyes and looks at her with a smirk. Maddie giggles, wiping away the wetness from her eyes.

"I always thought that was a bit strange. Didn't sound like you at all." Maddie's giggles fade away and concern takes it's place. "Am I the reason you didn't go to your prom?"

"As I said before, what was the point of going if the girl I love can't be there with me?" Zack raises an eyebrow at her and stops her before she can say anything else. "You had other obligations. Besides, I did go to prom. I went to yours and I got to dance with the most beautiful girl in the world that night. There's no way my prom could top that without you there."

Maddie hugs Zack fiercely before climbing off the bed and standing up. Grabbing one of Zack's t-shirts, she heads out the door without a word.

"Maddie, where are you going?" Zack asks, confused.

Maddie glances over her shoulder with a wide smile. "To get ready for bed." With that, she goes into the bathroom and changes into the comfortable shirt. Coming back into Zack's room, she finds him still sitting on the bed with the most adorable, goofy smile on his face. Maddie turns off the lights and gets under the covers. She pulls him down beside her and curls into his side with her arm around his waist. "Goodnight, Zack." She kisses him softly on the lips.

"Goodnight Sweet Thang." Zack returns the kiss and falls asleep with his love in his arms and a smile on his face.

_**So now you know why Zack didn't go to his prom. What did you think? Please Review and let me know!**_

_**Btw - for any who want to follow me, my twitter is:**_ **georgiem_1**


	11. Epilogue

_**Big thanks for my 5 dedicated reviewers of the previous chapter: TMI, gabgaws12, psav2005, StarfishOnTheBeach, and xAlL-tHiNgS-sUiTe-LiFe-RoCkSx. You have consistently reviewed my chapters and I really appreciate it! Thanks to all the silent readers, too.**_

_**Sadly, this is the last chapter but I am thinking of writing Cody and London's story to go with this one. What do you think?**_

_***I don't own SL or its characters. If I did, Maya certainly wouldn't be Zack's love interest. I do own this story and the songs, however.***_

**Previously:**

_"Maddie, where are you going?" Zack asks, confused._

_Maddie glances over her shoulder with a wide smile. "To get ready for bed." With that, she goes into the bathroom and changes into the comfortable shirt. Coming back into Zack's room, she finds him still sitting on the bed with the most adorable, goofy smile on his face. Maddie turns off the lights and gets under the covers. She pulls him down beside her and curls into his side with her arm around his waist. "Goodnight, Zack." She kisses him softly on the lips._

_"Goodnight Sweet Thang." Zack returns the kiss and falls asleep with his love in his arms and a smile on his face._

Epilogue

"…As we head out into the world, I would like to remind each of us of the most important thing in life, above education, employment and professional success. The thing that kept us going, encouraged us and helped to get us to this point. Our loved ones, both family and friends. With that, I would like to thank my Mom, Dad, my twin brother Cody and the future Mrs. Zack Martin, my Maddie. Without you and all of my friends, I would not be standing here today as a graduate, awarded the top honors. Thank you." Zack waves to the audience as he walks off the stage to take his seat with his graduating class.

They ceremony continues and soon they start announcing the names of the graduates as each passes by receiving their diploma and handshakes from the faculty. The names are called up alphabetically, grouped by area of study. When the Engineering graduates are announced, Zack stands up with everyone in his section and walks back onto the stage. After his name is called and he has gone through the line, he hears a loud whistle off to one side of the auditorium. Stopping before going down the steps, he looks over to find a huge sign being held aloft over the front railing by several people. It reads, 'Way to go Zack!'.

The entire first two rows and half the third of that section are waving and cheering. In the first row, starting from left to right, are Mr. Moseby and Miss Tutweiler, Esteban and his wife, Arwin, his mom, his dad, Cody and London, Maddie, Bailey and Cole, and Dylan and Moira. The second row has a few surprises, it includes Woody, Addison, Marcus, Max, Bob and the rest of Maddie's sisters. The third row holds his bandmates, all screaming at the top of their lungs. Zack almost stumbles down the stairs to his seat, he is so busy staring at the group with a huge smile on his face.

After the ceremony finally ended, Zack makes a bee-line for the exit, anxious to meet up with his family and friends outside on the lawn. He gets to the agreed upon spot before anyone else and leans against a tree, but doesn't have to wait long.

"Zack!" Looking out over the gathering crowd, Zack catches a glimpse of flowing golden brown hair whipping between people heading in his direction. Recognizing the voice and hair, he opens his arms as she reaches him, ready as she leaps into them for a hug. A dazzling flash of sunlight bounces off a ring before her fingers tangle in his hair to pull him down for a quick kiss. "I am so proud of you!" Maddie whispers in his ear.

The rest of the group walk up with big smiles and lots of hugs. Everyone crowds close, enjoying being all together for the first time in a long time. With everyone talking at once, no one could be heard. Zack suddenly whistles loudly to get their attention.

"Lets head over to the hotel where London has arranged a private dining room for us." Zack says and leads the way to the parking area pulling Maddie along with him. They pile into several limos, again provided by London. When Zack tried to refuse saying she was being too generous, London just shook her head at him. She said, "Zack, I've never had any brothers except for you. Let me spoil you a little. It makes me happy." When she called him her brother, he pulled her into a fierce hug and could refuse her nothing.

At the hotel, everyone is sitting at the long, elegant dining table with Zack at the head. He looks at the people around the table with a smile. Cody stands up next to him holding a glass of wine, which he gently taps with a fork to get the group's attention.

"I know there have been times while growing up when we have questioned what will happen to Zack. I know I often joked about needing a good a job so I could afford the bail to get him out of jail." Cody chuckles as several nod their heads in agreement, especially Marion Moseby who could be heard snorting from the other end of the table.

"I can't say anything." Zack laughs. "I've often wondered how we ended up here."

"Even so," Cody smiles at his twin. "I knew Zack would surprise us all and boy did he ever by graduating at the top of his class. I couldn't be prouder of you." Cody raises his glass towards Zack. "To my brother, Zack Martin." His friends and family follow suit and sip their drinks.

The rest of the party is spent eating and catching up. Zack talks with everyone, eager to hear about their lives and plans. Most he sees fairly regularly but a for a few it's been a while.

Cody and London he sees all the time. London and Maddie share London's suite at the Boston Tipton where London is being groomed to take over the Tipton Hotel chain from her father. She, of course is a natural at it. Cody is working towards his PhD specializing in neural medicine. Already, some of his work has been revolutionizing that area of medicine. Cody proposed to London the same night that Zack proposed to Maddie. The girls immediately decided on a double wedding, which will be happening next spring.

Arwin, after his mother passed away, calmed down quite a bit. He managed to convince Carey to go out with him and, to her absolute surprise, she had a wonderful time. They have been dating for a year now. Arwin actually invented a gadget that works and sold the rights for a pretty penny. He still works at the Tipton Hotel to keep busy. As for Carey, Mr. Tipton bought out a small record label and decided to sign her, thinking it would be a big promotional boost for his hotels, too.

Kurt Martin hasn't changed much. He still tours with his band and has gotten more of a following since they re-released the first album. His music has been introduced to a whole new generation of music lovers.

Cole and Bailey having been dating since the whole Greg fiasco. They moved in together two month ago and everyone is just waiting for the engagement announcement. Bailey is in law school specializing in environmental law. Cole is finishing up his studies to become a chef.

Woody and Addison got married last year. A distant relation of Woody's left him and each of his siblings a small fortune, which Woody used to buy a pancake house. Thankfully, Addison got her degree in business management and between them, they run a decent, profitable restaurant. Addison is glowing as she shows off her baby bump to Zack. She's five months along and Woody hovers asking her every few minutes if she is okay. Addison just rolls her eyes and giggles at him.

Marion Moseby still travels the world on the S.S. Tipton with his wife, Emma Tutweiler-Moseby, who runs the sea school. Their son, Martin, will be celebrating his third birthday soon.

Marcus Little managed to resuscitated his music career after starring in his own Broadway musical based off his hit song, Retainer Baby. He's on break from touring to record his next album, It's a Little Thing called Love. Mostly, Marcus has kept up with all of his friends through email and texting so it's great to see everyone in person.

Maddie, Zack's one true love, got her Masters in English. She's working as a editor for the newspaper while she works on writing her first novel. Maddie sings with Zack's band on occasion. Tipton Records will be producing the band's first record which is due out next Fall. Zack is going to concentrate on his music for now but has his degree in structural engineering to fall back on as well as an open job offer from Tipton Industries.

At the end of the party, Zack and Maddie hug everyone goodbye and make plans to meet for breakfast in the morning with many of them. Walking out of the room arm-in-arm, Maddie lays her head on Zack's shoulder with a contented sigh. "This was a perfect day." Zack smiles down at her and kisses her forehead.

"Yeah." He gets a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Want to go explore the room London got us for tonight? She said it's the penthouse suite."

"Oh yeah." Maddie grins up at him, grabbing his hand and running for the elevator. She pulls him inside and pushes the button for the top floor. "Come here, Sweet Thang." Wrapping her hands around his neck, she pulls him down into a passionate kiss as the elevator doors close.

_**That concludes my story. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have writing it. Please, let me know what you think and if you would like a sequel or Cody and London's story. Review, pretty please with cherries on top! :)**_


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